Rubilite Princess Ring

Rubilite Princess Ring

As a child, when other little girls declared pink as their favorite color, I adamantly refused to follow suit. My favorite was “magenta,” a color that sounded and looked far more important, sophisticated and special. My attachment to that deep, rich, gemmy color remained, and consequently, I have a particular fondness for rubellite – a pink tourmaline, yes, but the more distinctive magenta version!

Found primarily in Brazil, Mozambique and Madagascar and “shocking” pink in color, sometimes with a hint of violet, rubellites stand apart from their fellow tourmalines. They are indeed regarded as special, rarer and considerably more valuable. The name comes from the Latin “rubellus” meaning “reddish” as they’re compared in color to the ruby, and in ancient times, were even mistaken as rubies. While some in the gem community think that rubellite is merely a name used to describe a particular color of tourmaline, gemological trade organizations define rubellites by the way they behave in daylight and artificial light: Whereas many stones alter their color (and appear brownish) depending on the light source, a rubellite retains its color and shines just as intensely regardless of lighting condition.